Delta flight overturns on landing in Toronto, all rescued

KATHMANDU: A Delta Airlines passenger jet overturned upon landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport, leaving several passengers injured.

The flight, which had departed from Minneapolis, carried 80 people, all of whom have been rescued, according to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The aircraft remains on the airport’s runway following the incident.

Dramatic online footage shows emergency responders evacuating passengers from the overturned plane. While the exact cause of the accident remains unknown, police stated that “most passengers are safe.”

Eighteen people were taken to the hospital, including three individuals—one of them a child—who sustained serious injuries. Canada’s Transport Minister Anita Anand said she is closely monitoring the “serious incident.” Meanwhile, Deborah Flint, CEO of Toronto Pearson Airport, credited the swift response of emergency crews for preventing fatalities.

Toronto is currently experiencing extreme winter conditions, with strong winds and back-to-back snowstorms within a week. The storms, which hit on Wednesday and Saturday, dumped 30 to 50 cm of snow across the city.

Prior to the incident, the airport had anticipated a busy travel day on Monday, with over 1,000 scheduled flights and more than 130,000 passengers.

Due to the severe weather, hundreds of flights had already been delayed or canceled over the weekend.